Hood hair dryer attachment

ABSTRACT

A hood hair dryer attachment can include a hood for covering at least a part of a head of a user. The hood has spaced apart inner and outer walls defining an air channel therebetween, and the inner wall includes a plurality of holes for directing air from the air channel onto a head of a user. The hood hair dryer attachment further includes a hose connected at one end to the outer wall of the hood and in communication with the air channel. The hose comprises a collar at another end for mounting to an air delivery conduit of a hair dryer. The collar is resiliently circumferentially expandable and includes a friction-enhancing material exposed on an inner surface of the collar for contacting a surface of the air delivery conduit of a hair dryer.

The invention relates to a hood hair dryer attachment and particularly,but not exclusively, to a hood hair dryer attachment for drying haircontaining a hair curling accessory, and to a method of using such ahood hair dryer attachment.

With public focus on personal appearance increasing, many people areturning to home-use products as a cost-efficient and easy way of givingtheir hair a salon-like appearance. For example, many people, includingmobile hair dressers are using home hair curling accessories as a way ofachieving curls without their hair being exposed to the heat of atraditional curling iron, which can produce a level of heat that canpotentially damage their hair. When using such hair curling accessoriessections of damp hair are either wound around, or drawn through, theaccessories and the hair is then left to dry naturally or overnight.Once the hair is dry, and the curling accessories are removed, theresulting hair has the desired curls.

If it is undesirable to wait for their hair to dry naturally, a user maywant to use a hair dryer attachment that uses heat from a conventionalhand held hair dryer to accelerate the drying process. Such attachmentstypically comprise a head unit for placement over the user's head in amanner that surrounds their hair, and a hose which extends from the headunit for attachment to the nozzle of a hair dryer. When the hair dryeris switched on, hot air expelled from the hair dryer flows through thehose and into the head unit. The hot air exits the head unit via anumber of ventilation holes provided in the inner wall and is directedtoward the user's head to dry their hair. Such attachments usually havethe ability to be folded or packed flat for ease of transport andstorage. Some hair dryer attachments are not large enough to accommodatea full head of hair including hair curling accessories which can lead toinefficient drying of the hair.

When the hot air from the hose enters the head unit and is directed ontothe user's hair through the ventilation holes there may be localised‘hot spots’. For example, sections of the user's hair close to the hotair entry points may become substantially hotter than the remainder ofthe user's head. If the hot air is inefficiently distributed, forexample through the use of a head unit which does not adequately coverthe hair of a user, or the distribution of air through the ventilationholes is inadequate, these hot spots receive more air than others,leaving other localised ‘cool spots’ that can remain damp while the hairin the hot spots dries quickly. Over time, this can result in thelocalised hot spots reaching an uncomfortably high temperature, and theuser can be forced to remove the apparatus before their entire head isdry or experience a longer drying time than could otherwise be achieved.

When the attachment is placed on the user's head and the hair dryer isswitched on, the force of the hot air circulating through the head unitmay be enough to blow the unit off the user's head, or it may simplyslip off. Additionally, in order for the hot air from the hair dryer tobe directed toward the user's head, the end of the hose needs to befirmly secured to the nozzle of the hair dryer. The connector point ofthe hose of a typical hood hair dryer attachment is comprised of afabric tube supported by a nylon spring stitched into the tube. The hoseis attached to the hair dryer by an elasticated collar. Regrettably,this frequently provides an unreliable connection. If the collar is toolarge it can slide off the nozzle of the hair dryer, or even be tooloose to fit tightly. If the collar is too small it may slide off thenozzle during use or not fit at all. The user may therefore be forced tosecure the collar to the nozzle with their hands or other means. Theabove problems may render the hair dryer attachment cumbersome anduncomfortable to use. For example, the user may have to sit as still aspossible so as to avoid any movement that could cause the hose to detachfrom the hair dryer or the head unit to fall off.

When the attachment is in use, the user can hold the handle of the hairdryer so that the stream of air exiting the hair dryer is directed intoand through the hose. From the hose, the air will enter the head unitand be directed onto the user's hair through the ventilation holes.Depending upon the volume of hair to be dried, the drying process cantake up to 45 minutes and keeping their arm elevated can lead to theuser becoming fatigued. However, if the user were to place the hairdryer on a flat surface, then the tension in the hose can pull the hoseoff the hair dryer and could cause the hair dryer to fall to the ground.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a more convenientattachment.

In a first aspect, the invention provides a hood hair dryer attachmentcomprising: a hood for covering at least a part of a head of a user, thehood having spaced apart inner and outer walls defining an air channeltherebetween, wherein the inner wall comprises a plurality of holes fordirecting air from the air channel onto a head of a user; a hoseconnected at a first end to the outer wall of the hood and incommunication with the air channel, said hose comprising a collar at asecond end for mounting to an air delivery conduit of a hair dryer, saidcollar being resiliently circumferentially expandable and comprising afriction-enhancing material exposed on an inner surface of the collarfor contacting a surface of the air delivery conduit of a hair dryer.

Here, by the term “friction-enhancing material” is meant a material thathas a higher coefficient of friction than the material of the remainderof the hose. By the term “hair dryer” is meant an electromechanicaldevice that blows either cool or heated air from an air deliveryconduit. The air delivery conduit of a hair dryer may be referred to asa nozzle.

The present invention provides a hood hair dryer attachment with a hosecomprising a collar with a friction-enhancing material allowing a hairdryer to be firmly retained within the hose, thereby reducing the riskof detachment. The hood, in use, preferably covers the majority of, andmore preferably substantially all of, the head of hair of a user.

By providing a hose comprising a friction-enhancing material at the endthat mounts the air delivery conduit of the hair dryer, the hose can nolonger easily become detached from the hair dryer. The user therefore nolonger needs to be fearful of a build-up of pressure within the hose, ormovement in general, that may cause the hose to slide off the nozzle ofthe hair dryer.

The inclusion of the friction-enhancing material thus allows for a moreconvenient hood hair dryer attachment than those known in the art, asthe nozzle of the hair dryer will be frictionally retained within thecollar. The friction-enhancing material enhances the connection betweencollar and nozzle and allows a longer hose to be used which can allow auser to place the hair dryer on a surface so they don't need to hold itduring the drying process. The friction-enhancing material thereforeallows for more freedom of movement, as the user no longer has to sitstill for fear of causing the collar to detach from the nozzle. Longerhoses may be more prone to bending or kinking, causing a backpressurethat force the hair dryer out of the hose. However, thefriction-enhancing material will ensure that the hair dryer willcontinue to be retained within the hose even during such backpressureevents.

The hood and hose are preferably made from a flexible and/or washablematerial. This allows for the attachment to be stored and transportedeasily, as well as the hood to adopt or fit the contours of the user'shead and/or hair. By making the hood and hose from a washable material auser can more easily maintain the hood and hose in a hygienic condition.

Advantageously, the hood hair dryer attachment further comprises afabric material, for example a nylon material. This allows for theattachment to be comfortably worn by the user.

Preferably, the inner and outer walls of the hood are substantially drumshaped, having a substantially cylindrical side wall with a top cover,or crown, which may be integrally formed with the side wall. This allowsfor the shape of the interior of the hood to complement that of a user'shead. The drum shape may be divided into six individual panel sections,with a further three panels forming the substantially dome shaped crown,separated by means of partially stitching the inner and outer wallstogether. This prevents “ballooning” between the double walls, when thehair dryer is switched on

Advantageously, the configuration of the plurality of holes in the innerwall includes holes arranged in rows or columns over the crown andaround the hood. Preferably, the plurality of holes in the inner wallare holes substantially equidistantly spaced apart. This helps to ensurethat the air from the conduit entering the hood via hose and air channelis substantially evenly and substantially equally directed toward theuser's head. The holes in the inner wall of the hood may be die-cut, butcould be formed by other methods.

Preferably, the number of holes in the inner wall is above 75.Preferably, the number of holes is between 75 and 200. Advantageously,the number of holes is between 125 and 160. Most preferably, the numberof holes is exactly 147.

This ensures that air is directed to the majority of the user's head,reducing the likelihood of localised hot or cool spots in the user'shair. In turn, the user's hair dries in a more effective, efficient andtimely manner.

Preferably, the holes are substantially circular. Preferably, thediameter of the holes is between 5 mm and 8 mm and more preferablybetween 5 mm and 6 mm.

Advantageously, the length of the hose is at least 50 cm. Preferably,the length of the hose is at least 80 cm. Advantageously, the length ofthe hose is substantially 100 cm.

In some preferred embodiments it may be desirable to close off orotherwise restrict the number of holes in certain areas of the innerwall. For example, depending on the needs of the user, in someembodiments a number of holes located approximately in the vicinity ofthe user's ears when the attachment is in use may be blocked off, closedoff or otherwise not present. This means that air may still be directedto the majority of the user's head but with a lower probability that theears of the user will become uncomfortably hot from prolonged use.Although any number of holes may be closed off or restricted dependingon the needs of the user in some embodiments, four holes from each ofthe bottom rows of holes on either side of the inner wall (that may besubstantially opposing sides) may be blocked off, i.e. a total oftwenty-four holes may be blocked off. It will be readily apparent thatrather than actively ‘closing off’ or ‘blocking off’ a pre-formed holeit is also contemplated that these holes will simply not be present inthe hood in the first place, and that any number of holes that would bedisposed around the user's ears when the hood is worn may simply bemissing from the design of the inner wall. This will, of course, dependon the method of manufacture. It will also be readily apparent that itis contemplated that any number of holes may be closed/blocked off orotherwise missing from the design of the inner wall in order to reducethe amount of heat on the user's ears.

In such embodiments, the result is that the holes on the inner wall forma pattern on the inner wall, the pattern containing fewer or no holes,or holes with greater spacing therebetween, in areas of the inner wallthat would be disposed around the ears of the user when the hood isworn. The configuration of the plurality of holes in the inner wall inthese embodiments may still include holes arranged in rows or columnsover the crown and around the hood, substantially equidistantly spacedapart—with the exception of those areas of the hood which be near theuser's ears when the hood is worn. This helps to ensure that the airfrom the conduit entering the hood via hose and air channel issubstantially evenly and substantially equally directed toward theuser's head but that the user's ears do not become unpleasantly hot.

In such embodiments, the number of holes is between 50 and 175.Advantageously, the number of holes is between 100 and 145. Mostpreferably, the number of holes is exactly 123.

A hose of this length allows the user more freedom of movement. The useris no longer required to hold the hair dryer throughout the dryingprocess since the hose is long enough for the hair dryer to be set asideon a nearby surface, without risk of the tension in the hose pulling thehair dryer off the surface, or putting strain on the connection andpulling the collar off the nozzle of the hair dryer.

The hose is preferably substantially tubular, although other shapescould be used. The hose also preferably comprises a flexible and/or afabric material. Here, by “hose” is meant a conduit through which aircan flow. For example, the hose may be a substantially tubular member,substantially uniform in both length and cross section; or the hosecould be a hollow passage with accordion-like walls for ease ofcollapsing.

Preferably, the friction-enhancing material comprises a ring.Advantageously, the friction-enhancing material comprises a stripstitched, glued or otherwise attached into the inside surface of thecollar of the hose, preferably in the form of a ring. Preferably thestrip is stitched along its opening edges into the inner surface of thecollar. The strip may be double stitched into the collar, for examplealong top and bottom edges of the strip. This ensures that the materialstays in shape, preferably a substantially circular shape, and securedto the collar. Other configurations of friction-enhancing material maybe used, for example, a circumferential ring of spaced apartfriction-enhancing dots or strips stitched, glued or otherwise attachedinto the inside surface of the collar could be used.

The collar is advantageously resiliently circumferentially expandable soas to enable it to be fitted over the air delivery conduit of a hairdryer. The friction-enhancing material on the inside surface of thecollar ensures that the air delivery conduit of the hair dryer will befrictionally retained within the hose, reducing the risk of the hoseslipping off the hair dryer.

Preferably, any gap between the two ends of the strip when stitched intothe collar is less than, or substantially, 2 mm at rest.

The friction-enhancing material may comprise an elastomeric material. Aselastomeric materials have a relatively high coefficient of friction,this adds to the ability of the hose to frictionally retain the airdelivery conduit of the hair dryer. Preferably, the elastomeric materialcomprises silicone rubber which has a relatively high coefficient offriction and also has good heat insulation properties, which insulatesthe hands of the user when removing the collar from the hair dryer afteruse.

The thermal and chemical properties of silicone rubber ensure that itwill not react with any materials it is likely to come into contactwith, and will not get uncomfortably hot for the user when theattachment is in use and the hair dryer is blowing hot air.Additionally, silicone rubber has the ability to form a substantiallyairtight seal, reducing the amount of air that may escape through theseal between the hair dryer nozzle and the collar of the hose. Siliconerubber also has low thermal conductivity, low toxicity, low chemicalreactivity, and adheres well to plastics, metals and the like, as aretypically found in most hair dryers.

Preferably, the hood hair dryer attachment further comprises anadjustable chin strap for securing the hood to the head of the wearer.Preferably, the hood comprises a drawstring for tightening extremitiesof the hood, for example a lower perimeter, to better secure it to thewearer.

In some embodiments where the number of holes on the inner wall isrestricted at locations corresponding to the ears of the user when thehood is worn, this location may correspond to the areas of the hoodimmediately above where the draw string is attached to the hood. I.e.,the amount of holes is reduced in the immediate vicinity of where thedraw string is attached to the hood The draw string is typicallyattached to the hood at two points, roughly corresponding to the area inthe vicinity of the ears of the user when the hood is worn and so thedraw string is typically attached to the hood at two substantiallyopposite sides. Therefore, in such embodiments the number of holes inthe inner wall is restricted at two substantially opposite locations oneither side of the hood immediately above where the draw string isattached to the hood.

In a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of attachinga hood hair dryer attachment to a hand held hair dryer, the hood hairdryer attachment comprising: a hood for covering at least a part of ahead of a user, the hood having spaced apart inner and outer wallsdefining an air channel therebetween, wherein the inner wall comprises aplurality of holes for directing air from the air channel onto a head ofa user; a hose connected at a first end to the outer wall of the hoodand in communication with the air channel, said hose comprising a collarat a second end for mounting to an air delivery conduit of a hair dryer,said collar being resiliently circumferentially expandable andcomprising a friction-enhancing material exposed on an inner surface ofthe collar for contacting a surface of the air delivery conduit of ahair dryer; the method comprising the step of: mounting the collar atthe second end of the hose on an air delivery conduit of a hand heldhair dryer; wherein the hand held hair dryer is frictionally retained inthe second end of the hose by the collar.

The attachment comprises an air channel defined between an inner andouter wall and the inner wall comprises a plurality of holes fordirecting air into and through the hair of the user. This structure andconfiguration of the holes allows for air to be circulated through thechannel and, via the holes, to be distributed evenly around the user'shead, increasing drying efficiency and reducing the risk of hot spotsand uneven drying of the user's hair.

Preferably, the attachment comprises a drawstring and an adjustable chinstrap. The drawstring allows extremities of the hood, for example alower perimeter or rim, to be fitted to the user, for example around theforehead and the hairline, resulting in minimal air escaping from thehood. The chin strap further allows the hood to be secured to the user'shead in a manner that prevents it slipping or otherwise falling off.

A better understanding of the present invention will be obtained fromthe following detailed description of a preferred embodiment. Thedescription is given by way of example only and makes reference to theaccompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a hood hair dryer attachment in useaccording to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cut-out view of the hood of the hood hair dryer attachmentaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side view of a collar of the hose of a hood hair dryerattachment according to FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the inside of the hose of a hood hairdryer attachment according to a second embodiment of the presentinvention.

The orientations top, side, above, below etc. are taken from anarbitrary datum and are intended solely to simplify the descriptionbelow.

A hood hair dryer attachment 1 according to the present invention isshown, in use, in FIG. 1. As is typical, the hood hair dryer attachment1 comprises a hood 3 and a hose 5. The hood 3 is substantially drumshaped with a dome shaped crown. The hose 5 is attached to the hood 3 atone end, and comprises a collar 6 for mounting to the air deliveryconduit 7 of a hair dryer 8.

The hood 3 and hose 5 comprise a flexible, fabric, material that allowsthe hood hair dryer attachment to be folded and/or packed flat for easeof transportation and storage.

A number of ventilation holes 10 are representatively illustrated in thehose 5. It is envisaged that that ventilation holes will be located atthe collar 6 of the hose 5 that will be mounted to the hair dryer 8 butany number of holes could equally be provided in any location on thehose 5. The ventilation holes 10 will prevent overheating in the eventthat the hose 5 bends or kinks in such a way so as to cause asignificant backpressure event on the hair dryer 8. In preference, or inaddition, to the ventilation holes 10, a ventilation structure may alsobe provided in the outer wall 2 of the hood 3, providing further meansfor the hot air to exit the hood 3.

Referring additionally to FIG. 2, a cut-out view of the hood 3 of theattachment 1 according to FIG. 1 is shown. The hood 3 comprises an innerwall 4 and an outer wall 2 that are spaced apart to define an airchannel 14 therebetween. The hood 3 is divided into six panels aroundthe drum and three panels over the crown and includes stitching lines 15partially stitching the walls together.

In use, hot air from the hair dryer 8 will be routed to the user's headvia the air channel 14 as will be described later. Both the inner wall 4and the outer wall 2 are substantially drum shaped but any alternativeshape could equally be used. A drawstring 11 is provided on the hood 3to tighten extremities of the inner and outer end walls of the hood 3against the user's head. An adjustable chin strap 12 is also provided atthe lower part of the hood 3 to further secure the hood 3 to the user'shead.

In accordance with the invention, a plurality of holes 13 are providedon the inner wall 4 of the hood 3 for directing air onto and through theuser's hair as will be described below. The holes 13 may be arranged inrows, columns or any combination of both. The holes 13 may beequidistantly spaced from one another, or concentrated in particularareas of the inner wall 4. Indeed, any type of distribution orcombination of types of distributions can also be provided, depending onthe manufacture or the requirements of the type of hair to be dried. Forexample, holes 13 may be arranged circumferentially, spirally, helicallyetc . . .

The number of holes 13 in the inner wall 4 of the hood 3 is above 75,preferably above 100, and most preferably above 140.

The number of holes 13 in the inner wall 4 of the hood is between 75 and220, preferably between 105 and 190, and most preferably between 125 and160. In a particularly preferred embodiment the number of holes 13 isexactly 147.

The holes 13 are substantially circular and have a diameter of between 5mm and 8 mm, although, other shapes and other diameters could equally beused. For example, rectangular holes 13 may be used.

The hose 5 of the hood hair dryer attachment is 100 cm in length. Asremarked upon above, this gives the user greater freedom of movementwhile the hood hair dryer attachment is in use.

In accordance with the invention, the collar 6 of the hose 5 comprises afriction-enhancing material 9, in this case a ring, which is exposed onthe inner surface of the collar 6. In use, the friction-enhancingmaterial mounts the air delivery conduit 7 of the hair dryer 8.According to FIG. 1, the friction-enhancing material 9 on the collar 6of the hose 5 is silicone rubber. However, other types offriction-enhancing material 9 may be provided in keeping with theprinciples of the present disclosure.

The elastomeric material preferably has a high coefficient of frictionso as to ensure that the hose 5 remains mounted to the hair dryer 8 whenthe apparatus is in use. The collar 6 is resiliently circumferentiallyexpandable so it can be stretched an amount sufficient for it to envelopthe air delivery conduit 7 of the hair dryer 8. In this way, theelastomeric material is mounted over the air delivery conduit 7 of thehair dryer 8 such that the mouth of the conduit 7 is enveloped in thecollar 6 of the hose 5, and the outer surface of the conduit 7 isabutted by the inner surface of the silicone so that the hair dryer 8 isfrictionally retained in the hose 5.

FIG. 3 shows a side view of the collar 6 of the hose 5 of FIG. 1. Thehose 5 comprises a fabric material so as to allow for any movementnecessary for mounting the collar 6 over a hair dryer (not shown), andto allow the user to position the hose in a comfortable position. Thefabric is also preferably of a kind that can withstand the averagetemperature of hot air expelled from typical hairdryers so that the hosedoesn't reach a temperature that would cause the user discomfort. Thefriction-enhancing material 9 is substantially toroidal and may bemoulded, stitched, glued or otherwise attached to the collar 6 of thehose 5, depending on the manufacture.

The elastomeric material may be attached to or around the interior ofthe collar 6 of the hose 5, depending on the manufacture. Theelastomeric material 9 is exposed so as to engage with the surface ofthe air delivery conduit 7 of the hair dryer 8. Pieces of elastomericmaterial 9 can also be glued, stitched or otherwise attached to thecollar 6 of the hose 5. For example, a circumferential ring of spacedapart friction-enhancing dots or strips could be used.

As the air from the hair dryer 8 will typically be hot air used to drythe user's air, the elastomeric material is preferably heat-resilient.The low thermal conductivity of silicone rubber and its ability to formsubstantially airtight seals also ensure that the amount of hot airescaping through the collar 6 of the hose when mounted on the hair dryer8 is reduced.

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of the collar 26 of a hose 25 accordingto a second embodiment of the present invention. At rest, the diameterof the mouth 31 of the hose is preferably equal to or slightly less thanthe diameter of the nozzle of the hand held hair dryer with which it isto be used so that the hair dryer is frictionally retained within thehose 25. For example, the hand held hairdryer may have a nozzle diameterof between about 30 and 45 mm. It should be noted that the nozzle of ahand held hairdryer is not necessarily substantially circular and can beother shapes, for example ellipse, oval, or a generally curved shape.Such a shape can focus, or otherwise direct, the flow of air from thehand held hair dryer. The collar 26 is preferably sufficiently flexibleto allow it to conform to such shapes.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, a strip of elasticated material 33has been double-stitched around the inside wall of the collar. Theelastomeric material 29 is a strip of silicone rubber that has beendouble-stitched around the mouth 31 of the hose 25 to the elasticatedmaterial 33. Here, by double-stitched it is meant two spaced apart,substantially parallel, continuous rows of stitches on opposing sides ofthe strip. The stitches of the elasticated material 29 arerepresentatively illustrated by lines 32. One consequence of having astrip stitched to the inside of the hose 25 is that there is a gap 30between the two ends of the strip. It is preferable to keep the gap oroverlap as small as possible.

In one embodiment, the gap is 2 mm when the mouth 31 of the hose 25 isin an unstretched, rest, configuration. In one embodiment, the gap is 4mm when the mouth 31 of the hose 25 is in a stretched configurationsuitable for accepting the conduit of the hair dryer. Preferably the‘rest’ gap is no more than 2 mm and the ‘stretched’ gap is no more than4 mm.

The strip of elasticated material is 11 mm wide and 45 mm in diameterwhen in a substantially circular, closed, unstretched configuration, andthe two rows of stitches are 6 mm apart. However, it is to be understoodthat alternative widths, diameters, etc . . . could equally be used.

Although a strip of silicone rubber is shown in FIG. 4, a siliconerubber ring, possibly moulded, could equally be used. Additionally, thering may be glued, stitched or otherwise connected to the collar 26 ofthe hose 25 or the elasticated material 33 in keeping with theprinciples of the present disclosure. In one embodiment, the siliconerubber ring is 45 mm in diameter, 8 mm wide and 0.7 mm thick. In oneembodiment the silicone rubber ring is double-stitched around the insidewall of the collar 26. In another embodiment, the stitches are 6 mmapart. However, it should be understood that other dimensions could alsobe used.

Although an elasticated material is shown in FIG. 4, a substantiallyrigid silicone rubber ring could equally be used, without theelasticated material. This results in a collar less circumferentiallyexpandable than that comprising the elasticated material. In thisembodiment, the diameter of the mouth of the hose is equal to orslightly less than the diameter of the nozzle of the hair dryer. Whenthe collar circumferentially deforms back to its rest configuration, thehair dryer is tightly retained in the mouth of the collar.

Referring again to FIG. 1, when the apparatus is to be used, the userwill place the hood 3 of the hood hair dryer attachment in a verticalorientation over their head, such that the inner wall 4 of the hood 3substantially abuts the user's head and/or hair, as is representativelyillustrated. The hood 3 should be placed such that substantially all ofthe front, back and sides of the user's hair are enveloped by the hood3, but the hood 3 should not envelop the user's eyes. The user tightensthe drawstring so as to press fit the hood 3 to their head at the user'shairline, and secures the hood 3 to their head using the adjustable chinstrap 12.

The collar 6 of the hose 5 can then be mounted onto the air deliveryconduit 7 of a hair dryer 8. When switched on, hot air from the hairdryer 8 enters the hood 3 via the hose 5. The hot air is then directedinto and circulated through the air channel of the hood defined inbetween the inner and outer walls of the hood. The hot air then exitsthe hood 3 through the plurality of holes in the inner wall 4 and willbe directed into and through the hair of the user. The amount of holesprovided in the inner wall 4 ensures an efficient, uniform distributionof heat across the user's hair eliminating the localised hot spots thatare a problem in the art. In this way, the apparatus causes completecirculation of hot air through the user's hair, thereby drying theuser's hair in a quick and efficient manner.

Risk of the apparatus overheating is reduced using the ventilation holes10 as described above, and/or holes a ventilation structure in the outerwall 2 of the hood 3. Small air leakage through any gaps between thehood 3 and the user's head may also allow hot air from the hood 3 toescape.

The length of the hose 5 is sufficient to allow the user to rest thehair dryer on a nearby surface without the risk of the tension in thehose 5 pulling the hair dryer 8 off. Additionally, any bending orkinking in the hose 5 will not result in a backpressure event that willcause the hose 5 to detach from the hair dryer 8, since it will remainfrictionally retained in the friction-enhancing material 9.

The invention thus provides for a hood hair dryer attachment which canbe easily and comfortably used to dry the user's hair. The attachment iseasily used with a reduced risk of the hair dryer becoming detached.

The invention is not considered to be limited to the configurations andmaterials described in the embodiments above. The configuration of thestructure as well as the dimensions and, to a certain extent, thematerial would be dependent on a specific application. For example, theouter and inner wall may be of different shapes to those describedherein, and additional materials may be incorporated into the attachmentto provide additional insulation, resilience and/or strength etc . . .

1. A hood hair dryer attachment comprising: a hood for covering at leasta part of a head of a user, the hood having spaced apart inner and outerwalls defining an air channel therebetween, wherein the inner wallcomprises a plurality of holes for directing air from the air channelonto the head of the user; and a hose connected at a first end to theouter wall of the hood and in communication with the air channel, saidhose comprising a collar at a second end for mounting to an air deliveryconduit of a hair dryer, said collar being resiliently circumferentiallyexpandable and comprising a friction-enhancing material exposed on aninner surface of the collar for contacting a surface of an air deliveryconduit of a hair dryer.
 2. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed inclaim 1 further comprising a flexible material.
 3. (canceled)
 4. A hoodhair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the inside surfaceof the collar further comprises an elasticated material.
 5. A hood hairdryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the friction-enhancingmaterial is stitched or glued into the inside surface of the collar. 6.A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the innerwall of the hood is substantially drum shaped with a dome shaped crown.7. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed claim 1, wherein the outerwall of the hood is substantially drum shaped with a dome shaped crown.8. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed claim 1, wherein theplurality of holes in the inner wall comprises the holes arranged inrows or columns.
 9. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1,wherein the plurality of holes in the inner wall comprises the holessubstantially equidistantly spaced apart.
 10. (canceled)
 11. A hood hairdryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a number of the holes isbetween 75 and
 200. 12. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim1, wherein a number of the holes is between 125 and
 160. 13. (canceled)14. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein theholes are substantially circular.
 15. A hood hair dryer attachment asclaimed in claim 1, wherein a diameter of the holes is between 5 mm and8 mm.
 16. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein alength of the hose is at least 50 cm.
 17. (canceled)
 18. A hood hairdryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein a length of the hose issubstantially 100 cm.
 19. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the friction-enhancing material comprises a ring.
 20. Ahood hair dryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein thefriction-enhancing material comprises a strip stitched or glued into theinside surface of the collar of the hose.
 21. A hood hair dryerattachment as claimed in claim 20, wherein any gap between two ends ofthe strip is less than or substantially 2 mm at rest.
 22. A hood hairdryer attachment as claimed in claim 1, wherein the friction-enhancingmaterial comprises an elastomeric material.
 23. A hood hair dryerattachment as claimed in claim 22, wherein the elastomeric materialcomprises silicone rubber.
 24. A hood hair dryer attachment as claimedin claim 1, further comprising an adjustable chin strap for securing thehood to the head of the wearer.
 25. A hood hair dryer attachment asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the hood comprises a drawstring fortightening a base of the hood.
 26. A method of attaching a hood hairdryer attachment according to claim 1 to a hand held hair dryer, themethod comprising the step of mounting the means at the second end ofthe hose over an air delivery conduit of a hand held hair dryer; whereinthe hand held hair dryer is frictionally retained in the second end ofthe hose by the collar. 27-28. (canceled)